![]() It is men-especially poor young men-that most obviously connect to the masculine aggression that pulses through songs such as “When We Ride On Our Enemies” and “Hit Em’ Up.”īut Tupac’s influence is not limited to men. A Cape Town-based study published in 2020 in the journal Ethnography found that young men and young women both identify with him. To them, Tupac is a symbol that being young, marginal, and black does not necessarily mean also being powerless. Listening to his songs, males and females alike find a shared refrain in survival and pride, echoing their personal defiance against racism, violence, and poverty in Tupac’s own voice. Take 36-year-old Kelly (names have been changed ), for instance, who started going by the nickname “Tupac” at the age of 14. Like other study participants, she lives in a community where jobs are scant, government services are inadequate, and violence is common. Driven from her home by a physically abusive stepfather, Kelly had to find a way of surviving on streets ruled by the powerful 28s gang. “I used to listen to Tupac’s songs, all his numbers. He was almost like a motivation for me,” she said. ![]() ![]() And I used to wear my bandana like him, and a diamond in the nose. ![]()
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